Rain may be good luck in Chinese culture, but clear skies and balmy temperatures were welcome weather for the tens of thousands who lined San Francisco streets Saturday for the Chinese New Year Parade.

The Year of the Snake officially began Feb. 10, but the evening parade featuring Chinese lion dancers, extravagant floats and a 258-foot dragon carried by more than 100 people marked the end of the two-week-long celebration.

"This parade is a culmination of all the festivities," said Johnny Kuo of San Francisco, who brought his young son, Max, to the parade for the first time, thanks to the nice weather. "It's celebrating the new beginning."

The constant pop of firecrackers and the gong-banging by parade marchers were enough to make Jeff Chin of Walnut Creek wince. The 86-year-old said he's been coming to the parade since he was 6.

"It was a little quieter back then," Chin said. "As you get older, it gets harder to tolerate the noise, but I like the crowds."

The parade originated in the 1860s when the Chinese community in San Francisco sought to play a larger role in the city after the Gold Rush. Now one of the largest parades in the country, organizers say more than 3 million people tune in on TV to watch it.

"It's the biggest time of the year," said Caroline Cheung of Belmont. "It's a new year for the Chinese people."

Cheung was at the parade for a second time. In Chinese tradition, those born in the Year of the Snake are said to be deep, rather quiet and wise.

Those are exactly the traits Cheung hopes her baby, due in July, will have.

"Every animal has different characteristics, the serpent is determined and hates to fail," said Cheung, 31. "A lot of Chinese parents want the dragon baby, that's supposed to be the most competitive animal, but we'll take the snake."